12.24.2011 Twas the night before....

Smells so good...left over chili for dinner again...i had little burritos mixed with our killer pinto beans and Scott had a frito boat...love leftovers...all the joy and the work's already done! Like a food mutual fund! I cooked herby tender dressing, green bean casserole ala Paula Dean, sauteed carrots, celery, onions, mushrooms...how could it not smell devine?! We laughed so hard tonite we cried.."food baby" oh from the mouth of babes. Laughed over silly stuff and it felt so joyful...Christmas eve marriage joy...nothing like an evening cooking, eating and laughing with your love & best friend of 20 yrs. There were tubs of potatoes...literally 10 lbs...a pyramid of butter...now tucked in bed with "Little Women"...here's a little of what we did tonight

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Twas the night before Christmas....and 10 lbs of taters were being readied for mashing, Scott peels them, boils till tender and rices them for a silky smooth texture

Pallets of the most delicious oranges I've ever eaten arrived from Grandma's California tree...looking forward to our favorite New Year's champagne with a twist from one of these oranges

Pepperidge Farm Stuffing and Paula Deens Green Bean Casserole all quiet in the fridge

Stuffing/Dressing:

For each bag of bread crumbs add at least 2 cups of chopped vegies: carrot, celery, onion, mushroom & garlic...all sauteed first in butter with a dash of bacon fat & olive oil.  Add the required amount of broth...about 2 cups.  I added a good Tablespoon of homemade pesto as well.  S&P to taste...bake 350 for about 30 min, covered...dotted with a little extra butter.  SOOOO good.

A variation of Paula's Green Bean Casserole

• 1/3 stick butter
• 1/2 cup diced onions
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1/4 cup dry Sherry
• 4 cups (about 2 lbs) sliced green beans
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 large can French-fried onion rings
• Salt/Pepper (freshly ground) /Garlic Powder (or fresh garlic) to taste
• 1 cup grated Cheddar
• ___
• Saute onion in butter & remove, brown mushrooms very well (high heat!...check out Alton Brown's lesson on browning mushrooms) and deglaze with sherry...seasoning as you go along...set aside 
• boil green beans for 10 minutes in chicken broth...drain and set aside....It was a relaxing activity to clean & snap those green beans...I love those simple repetitive activities on quiet days in the kitchen.
• Mix the vegies together with cream of mushroom, 3/4 can of onion rings, mix and season to taste...don't over do the salt as you'll be adding more onions and cheese to the top.  Spread in a baking dish (we use the rectangular throw away ones for easy clean up)...top with rest of onions and cheese.  It's worth using the best cheese you can here...meaning get a chunk from the deli counter and grate yourself...even a good American cheese would be good here.  Bake 350 for 30 min uncovered.
• This is the best green bean casserole EVER.  

Two heads of roasted garlic...just waiting to be added to the 10 lbs of taters...along with heavy cream & butter of course!

Roasted Garlic

Heads of roasted garlic...as many as you wish...cut horizontally across the belly of the garlic head.  Place on large square of foil (I use heavy duty).  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle of salt and wrap up tightly in foil.  Place in 400 degree oven for 40 min.  Remove from oven and let cool...squish out cloves from skin and mash...delicious!  Last time Scott made these for Thanksgiving...he forgot about them and the next time we used the oven it smelled like a garlic festival...don't forget about them!

 a bottle of Oak Leaf always makes the cooking more fun with out breaking the bank

Merry Christmas!